So guys I just got my first car buffer and was wondering how you would wax/buff your Camaro. Just list the steps you use for beginning to finish. thanks

 

I'm also interested to hear about this.

 

KEEP IT FLAT AND AWAY FROM SHARP EDGES!

 

What kind of buffer, an orbital? If it's an orbital then it's pretty simple and fool proof. I would recommend applying wax by hand as the buffer can absorb more wax than it puts on the car. Then use a terry cloth bonnet to remove the wax.

If you're using a polishing compound then wet the bonnet (you can use a terry cloth or wool bonnet for this) and the surface to be polished and spread the polish onto the bonnet. Rub the pad on the paint first and spread out the compound, then turn the buffer on. And I guess that's about it.

Never start the buffer unless it's against the car!

 

What kind of buffer did you get?

A. If it's a true high speed rotary (Makita, DeWalt, etc) you need to be beyond careful until you really know what you're doing or you'll burn through the paint in a matter of seconds.

B. If it's a dual action (Porter Cable 7424) then you need to get your technique down in order to achieve the results you want. About the only way to damage paint with one of these is to drop it on your car. Seriously.

C. If it's one of $35 auto parts store 10" buffers, the only thing those are good for is appling and removing wax. They are a time saver, that's it, and won't let you do any serious paint correction (swirl removal, etc).

If you answeed "A" I'm not the one to help you as I've never used one (they sorta scare me ) If you answered "B" then let's talk - I have one and use it all the time. I've been to a few Meguiar's Saturday Clinics and Wednesday Night Open Garage sessions. If you answered "C"......take it back for a refund 'cause they're basically worthless and your money is better spent on things like claybar, paint cleaner, microfiber towels, etc.

 

well i hate to say this but its c. well guys i was really asking for detaild steps, 1 do this, 2 do this. and so on and so forth. thanks

 

I understand that you were looking for detailed steps, but those steps vary wildly depending on what sort of machine you have. The one you have does make it easy to apply and remove wax, so if that's all you're looking to do then here's the deal:

After you've washed and dried the car you want to use the softest foam pad (polishing pad) you can find for this machine. Apply a thin bead of wax in a circle on the face of the pad, about halfway in (or you can apply the wax in an "X" pattern on the pad). With the machine at a slow to medium speed setting (I'm not sure how many settings these things have, but you don't want it moving really fast at this point) start working the wax into the finish. You want to get a nice even, thin coat of wax laid down. Let the wax dry to a haze.

You should be able to find microfiber bonnets to slip over either a stiffer foam pad (cutting pad) or a wool pad for this machine. Get a couple and slip one on. Now with the machine at it's fastest speed, begin removing the hazed wax. This is the part that saves your arms!

Keep in mind, this machine just does not have the guts to let you remove swirls, etc. In order to do that you need heat. You can get so much heat out of a rotary that you can very easily, too easily, burn through paint on sharp body creases. With a random orbital you can't generate anywhere near the heat so you need different products, different technique, and much more time to correct defects. There are limits to what this machine can do for you, but it's a great machine! The polisher you bought is really only good for what I've outlined above. If that's all you wanted, then you chose correctly and didn't spend more money than you should have. If you want to remove swirls, sorry, this thing won't help.

 

I have a dewalt:
Things i've learned

Buff the car in small areas

Let the weight of the buffer do the buffing, do not push

don't use too much buffing compound, a lot acutally goes a long way

I use mine at 1400rpm

 

hey thanks man. thats what i was looking for